Beef Cattle Breeds and Biological Types (Publication 400-803)

publication 400-803

Beef Cattle Breeds and Biological Types

Scott P. Greiner, Extension Animal Scientist, Virginia Tech

Worldwide there are more than 250 breeds of beef cat- and Simmental. The majority of these breeds are rela-
tle. Over 60 of these breeds are present in the United tively new to the U.S., being imported in the late 1960’s
States. However, a relatively small number of breeds and early 1970’s primarily to improve the growth rate
(less than 20) constitute the majority of the genetics and leanness of existing breeds. In comparison to Brit-
utilized in the U.S. for commercial beef production. ish breeds, Continental European breeds are generally
The breed, or combination of breeds, used in a defined larger in mature size, later maturing (reach mature size
breeding program have a significant impact on the effi- at an older age), produce carcasses with less fat and a
ciency and profitability of the beef enterprise. Breed higher percentage of saleable product, have lower qual-
influences the important parameters of growth rate, ity grades, and produce more calving difficulty when
reproductive efficiency, maternal ability, and end-prod- mated to cows of the British breeds.
uct specifications. Additionally, nutritional require-
ments and production costs are related to traits such In the past 25 years, considerable research has been
as mature cow size and growth rate that are largely conducted to characterize and compare the major beef
determined by breed. Therefore, selecting appropri- breeds in the U.S. The most comprehensive studies
ate breeds to be used in a crossbreeding program is an have been conducted at the U.S. Meat Animal Research
important decision for beef cattle producers. Center in Clay Center, NE. Since 1970, over 30 breeds
have been evaluated in a common environment and
Characterizing Breeds management system for various performance traits.
of Beef Cattle The data presented in the following tables summarize
the results for sire breeds common to Virginia. Data
British Breeds on the breeds represented in this publication were col-
lected from 1970 to 1990. Sires of the various breeds
British breeds are breeds that were developed in the were mated to Angus, Hereford, or crossbred cows.
British Isles and were brought to the United States in Therefore, the data shown are for crossbred progeny
the late 1700s through the late 1800s. Angus (Black sired by the various breeds and out of Angus, Here-
and Red), Hereford (Horned and Polled), and Short- ford, or crossbred dams. Hereford-Angus cross calves
horn are the primary British breeds. When compared were produced throughout the duration of the study
to Continental European breeds, British breeds are gen- and served as the control. Original Hereford-Angus
erally smaller in mature size, reach mature size at an data represent performance of progeny from Hereford
earlier age, have less growth potential, excel in fertility (Horned and Polled) and Angus bulls born before 1970;
and calving ease, attain higher quality grades, and yield current Hereford-Angus data are for bulls of these
carcasses with a lower percentage of saleable product. breeds born from 1982 to 1984. The situation is similar
for Original and Current Charolais.
Continental European Breeds
Growth Traits:
Continental European breeds are also commonly
referred to as “exotic” breeds and include Charolais, Breed group means for birth and weaning weight, as
Chianina, Gelbvieh, Limousin, Maine Anjou, Salers, well as feedlot average daily gain and final (slaughter)
weights are shown in Table 1. Birth and weaning data
are from both steers and heifers, whereas average daily

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Produced by Communications and Marketing, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences,
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2009

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion,
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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University,
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Rick D. Rudd, Interim Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia

Tech, Blacksburg; Alma C. Hobbs, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State, Petersburg.

gain and final weight are averages of only steer prog- Carcass Traits:
eny. Final weights are adjusted to a common age at
slaughter. Significant differences among breeds for the Means for steer progeny carcass data are presented in
various traits are evident. Breeds that sire calves that Table 2. Carcass weights are highly related to final
are heavy at birth also tend to be the heaviest at wean- weights presented in Table 1. This table demonstrates
ing, grow the fastest in the feedlot, and have the heavi- that breeds which excel in retail product yield (percent-
est final weights (Charolais). The high-growth breeds age of the carcass weight that is trimmed, saleable red
with heavier birth weights also tended to cause more meat) also have lower marbling scores and reduced
calving difficulty resulting in a lower percentage of percentage of USDA Choice quality grades (Chianina,
unassisted births. Research studies confirm that heavy Limousin). Marbling score is a measurement of the
birth weights are the primary cause of calving difficulty. amount of intramuscular fat in the ribeye muscle and
Calf survival to weaning tended to be higher in breeds is an indicator of eating quality. High marbling breeds
that required less assistance at birth (Hereford-Angus, generally are lower in retail product yield. Fat thickness
Shorthorn, Salers). of the carcass has the largest impact on retail product
yield. As fat thickness increases, a lower percentage

Table 1. Sire Breed Group Averages for Birth, Weaning and Feedlot Performance Traits1

% % Birth 200 day Average Final
Unassisted Survival Wt., Wn. Wt., Daily Gain, Weight,
Breed Group lb.
Births To Weaning lb. lb. lb.

Orig. Hereford-Angus 94.8 95.7 75.2 432 2.51 1068
Curr. Hereford-Angus 92.7 91.5 80.4 458 2.74 1152
Orig. Charolais 83.5 85.8 86.4 461 2.77 1160
Curr. Charolais 86.8 89.5 86.5 479 2.89 1219
Chianina 88.4 89.3 86.9 459 2.63 1124
Gelbvieh 94.1 91.0 83.8 456 2.66 1129
Limousin 91.8 90.8 80.6 443 2.49 1080
Maine Anjou 79.4 88.9 88.0 456 2.72 1147
Salers 95.2 91.7 80.9 464 2.70 1148
Shorthorn 97.6 91.9 82.4 460 2.73 1156
Simmental 89.2 88.8 84.9 458 2.73 1148

1Adapted from Cundiff et al., 1993.

Table 2. Sire Breed Group Averages for Carcass Traits1

Carcass Fat Ribeye Retail % USDA
Weight, thickness, Area, Choice
in2. Product Marbling
Breed Group lb. in. Yield, % Score2 74.5
70.7
Orig. Hereford-Angus 654 .62 10.9 67.1 551 64.7
Curr. Hereford-Angus 58.9
Orig. Charolais 707 .63 11.2 67.2 543 27.5
Curr. Charolais 45.2
Chianina 710 .37 12.4 71.1 528 43.8
Gelbvieh 49.5
Limousin 747 .36 12.6 70.2 523 44.5
Maine Anjou 74.7
Salers 692 .32 12.4 71.9 448 63.4
Shorthorn
Simmental 686 .39 12.0 70.2 507

667 .39 12.3 71.5 477

705 .38 12.3 70.1 501

707 .41 12.0 70.0 515

707 .49 11.1 67.0 566

695 .37 11.9 70.1 510

1Adapted from Cundiff et al., 1993.
2400 = Slight degree of marbling = Select Quality Grade, 500 = Small degree of marbling = Choice- Quality Grade

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of the carcass is saleable retail product due to trimming with smaller mature size tended to reach puberty at a
loss. Consequently, lean breeds with minimal carcass younger age (Hereford-Angus). However, some large
fat thickness excel in retail product yield. Ribeye area breeds that have been selected for milk production
is an indicator of total muscle mass in the carcass and (Gelbvieh, Simmental, Salers) reach puberty at a rela-
has a positive influence on retail product yield. These tively young age. Pregnancy rate in heifers was not
breed differences verify the importance of using a com- consistently related to age at puberty or body weight at
bination of British and Continental genetics that com- 400 days of age because most animals in these studies
plement each other in a breeding program to produce were managed to grow at rates that allowed them to
an end product that has both acceptable carcass quality express puberty well before the start of their first breed-
and retail product yield. ing season. Different results could occur in less inten-
sively managed animals.
Yearling Heifer Traits:
Cow Production Traits:
Yearling heifer data for growth and reproductive
traits are shown in Table 3. Heifers sired by breeds The reproductive and maternal trait means of cows
that were heaviest at 400 days of age tended to be the sired by the breeds of primary interest in Virginia are
oldest at puberty. Conversely, heifers sired by breeds presented in Table 4. Cows were mated to similar bulls,

Table 3. Sire Breed Group Averages for Yearling Heifer Traits1

400-day Puberty Age at Pregnancy
Breed Group weight, lb. Expressed, % Puberty, days Rate, %

Orig. Hereford-Angus 706 92.2 365 87.9
Curr. Hereford-Angus 747 97.3 366 80.1
Orig. Charolais 744 87.0 393 81.0
Curr. Charolais 781 96.3 361 79.0
Chianina 734 83.8 400 84.0
Gelbvieh 725 87.1 341 87.4
Limousin 717 88.0 391 83.7
Maine Anjou 753 90.6 370 92.8
Salers 763 101.0 365 89.0
Shorthorn 769 95.8 359 89.0
Simmental 749 94.4 360 86.4

1Adapted from Cundiff et al., 1993.

Table 4. Breed Group Averages for Production Traits of Crossbred Cows1

Calf 200-day Calf 200-day

Calves Born Calves Calves Born Calf Birth Wt.: Per calf W t.: Per cow

Breed Group Alive, % Weaned, % Unassisted, % Wt., lb. weaned, lb. exposed, lb.

Orig. Hereford-Angus 91 84 87 86 475 401
Curr. Hereford-Angus 88 79 87 88 504 399
Orig. Charolais 88 80 85 93 503 403
Curr. Charolais 89 80 91 91 507 404
Chianina 93 86 92 95 523 454
Gelbvieh 95 87 89 90 533 464
Limousin 89 82 88 88 484 397
Maine Anjou 94 86 89 96 522 449
Salers 92 86 92 90 527 453
Shorthorn 93 87 90 94 529 460
Simmental 89 83 83 91 521 433

1Adapted from Cundiff et al., 1993.

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and performance information was recorded on the calves puberty, and moderate to high in milk production. The
to measure the maternal characteristics of the crossbred Charolais, Chianina, and Limousin breed types tended
cows. Cows sired by bulls with large mature size gave to be high in growth rate/mature size, high in lean to fat
birth to heavier calves. However, these heavier calves ratio, older at puberty, and low in milk production.
at birth did not result in an increase in calving difficulty
measured in percentage of calves born unassisted. This Selecting Breeds of Beef Cattle
is different from the results shown in Table 1, where
calves that were heavy at birth required more assistance There are several criteria that must be taken into con-
at calving. For Table 4, maternal calving ease is the sideration when making breed selection decisions:
trait of interest, i.e. how the daughters of a particular
breed of sire calve as cows. Table 4 suggests that cows • Production system
that have increased mature size are able to give birth to • Market demands
heavier calves without increases in calving difficulty. • Quantity and quality of feedstuffs available
The 200-day weaning weights are reflective of both the • Climate
milking ability of the cow and the growth potential of • Breed complementarity
the calf. Cows with high milk production and growth • Cost and availability of purebred seedstock
(Gelbvieh) had higher calf weaning weights than cows
with low milk production (Limousin). Conception Breeds need to be selected that fit into a designed pro-
rates, calving difficulty, and calf livability also contrib- duction system. The production system for cow-calf
ute to calf weaning weights when calf weaning weights producers should include a crossbreeding program that
are expressed on a per cow exposed basis. Breeds that utilizes two or more breeds. The breeds chosen need
sire cows that excel in this combination of traits will to produce calves that are appropriate for their end use.
have heavier weaning weights per cow exposed (Gelb- As an example, choice of a sire breed may be differ-
vieh, Shorthorn). ent for a producer who is selling crossbred replacement
heifers than for a producer who sells all his calves at
General Characterization of Breeds: weaning. For the producer marketing replacement
heifers, maternal and reproductive performance along
Table 5 characterizes the breeds for relative differences with growth rate and calving ease would be important
in growth rate/mature size, lean to fat ratio (retail prod- considerations for the sire breed. If all calves are sold
uct yield), age at puberty, and milk production. Gener- at weaning, growth rate and calving ease are of primary
ally, the Hereford-Angus and Shorthorn crossbreds are importance. If ownership of the calf crop is retained
moderate in growth and mature size, relatively low in through the feedlot phase, carcass characteristics
lean to fat ratio, reach puberty at a young age, and are become increasingly important. USDA grade, confor-
moderate in milk production. In comparison, calves mation, and coat color of resulting progeny influence
sired by Gelbvieh, Maine Anjou, Salers, and Sim- market prices received and should be considered when
mental bulls were moderate to high in growth rate and selecting breeds. Breeds utilized in a crossbreeding
mature size, high in lean to fat ratio, moderate in age at

Table 5. Characterization of Sire Breeds for Four Production Traits1

Growth Rate and Lean to Age at Milk
Breed Group Mature Size Fat Ratio Puberty Production

Hereford-Angus XXX XX XXX XX
Charolais XXXXX XXXXX XXXX X
Chianina XXXXX XXXXX XXXX X
Gelbvieh XXXX XXXX XXXX
Limousin XXXXX XX X
Maine Anjou XXX XXXX XXXX XXX
Salers XXXXX XXXX XXX XXX
Shorthorn XXXXX XXX XXX
Simmental XX XXX XXXX
XXX XXXX XXX
XXXXX
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1Adapted from Cundiff et al., 1993.
X = lowest, XXXXXX = highest

program also influence the mature size of the cowherd. European breeds (growth rate and retail product yield)
Breeds need to be selected that have mature sizes that complement each other.
are appropriate for the operation’s feed resources and
environment. Cows that are too large for the available Other breeds that are common to Virginia may be
feed resources may have lower reproductive efficien- referred to as both sire and dam breeds, including
cies and require more supplemental feed. Finally, the Gelbvieh, Salers, and Simmental. These breeds are fre-
availability of high quality purebred seedstock for a quently used in rotational crossbreeding programs in
desired breed needs to be considered. which some of the heifers are retained as replacements
and the remainder of the calf crop (steers and cull heif-
Breeds Common in Virginia ers) is sold as feeder calves or placed in a feedlot. The
higher level of growth and milk production in these
Tables 1 through 5 presented data for breeds that are breeds results in females that will wean heavier calves.
frequently used on commercial cow-calf operations in Commercial cows that are 1/2 to 3/4 British (Angus,
Virginia. The majority of the commercial cow herd in Hereford, Shorthorn) and 1/4 to 1/2 Continental (Gelb-
Virginia consists of Angus and Angus-cross females. vieh, Salers, Simmental) are well adapted to Virginia.
Traits important for dam breeds in crossbreeding pro-
grams include: Summary

• early puberty No single breed is superior for all traits that are impor-
• moderate mature size tant for beef production. Compromises in certain traits
• high fertility are inevitable when selecting breeds to be used in a
• m oderate to high milking ability (appropriate for feed crossbreeding program. Additionally, there is tremen-
dous variation within a breed for traits of importance. In
resources) some cases, this variation within a breed may be larger
• calving ease than the difference between two breeds for a particular
• longevity trait. Therefore, selection within a breed through the
• acceptable growth and carcass characteristics use of Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs) is critical
for any breeding program.
The Angus female has been popular in Virginia as a
result of her ability to combine these traits. Addition- References
ally, Angus genetics are available in abundant supply in
Virginia. In crossbreeding programs, Angus also con- Cundiff, L.V., F. Szabo, K.E. Gregory, R.M. Koch,
tributes black coat color and carcass quality (marbling). M.E. Dikeman, and J.D. Crouse. 1993. Breed compari-
For these reasons, black Angus-influenced feeder cattle sons in the Germplasm Evaluation Program at MARC.
traditionally are in high demand by cattle feeders in the Proc. Beef Improv. Fed. Ann. Res. Sym. and Ann. Mtg.
Eastern Corn Belt. pp. 124-136.

Traits important in selecting a sire breed for use in
crossbreeding programs include:

• high growth rate with moderate mature size
• acceptable calving ease
• adequate carcass quality grades (marbling)
• high retail product yield

Breeds that excel in these traits are commonly referred to
as “terminal sires” (all calves will be sold for slaughter,
replacement heifers not retained in the herd) and include
Charolais and Limousin. These breeds are commonly
crossed with British breed cows to produce a fast grow-
ing calf that has acceptable carcass quality grade and
retail product yield. In doing so, the strengths of the
British breeds (carcass quality grades) and Continental

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